Elizabeth Carbury, who arrived in 1853 on the Palestine, was born in 1832 in Galway and died in Dardanup, Western Australia in 1886 at the age of 54. Her parents were Michael Carbury and Sara Carbury. Elizabeth married the son of Irish free settlers James Maguire. Elizabeth passed away on month day 1886, at age 54 at death place.
James Maguire died in 1915 and was born in Westmoreland, England to Irish parents from Limerick, and came out to Western Australia with his family in the ship Trusty in 1842, when 8 years of age. The Trusty also carried the parents of explorer and politician John Forrest. They landed at Bunbury, and took up their residence at Australind, removing later from there to the Blackwood. At 21 years of age young Maguire went to Perth and met Elizabeth Carbury (shortly before had arrived on the Palestine) whom he married. Elizabeth’s sister Mary as bridesmaid. Shortly afterwards the pair went to Southwest and settled at Dardanup.
James and Elizabeth had 9 children:
John born in Binup Park 1856, Thomas born in Prinsep Park 1857, Mary Jane born 1859, Sarah Anne born 1861, James born in Dardanup 1863, Michael born in Dardanup 1866, Anne born in Dardanup 1868, Elizabeth Margaret born 1870, Michael born in Dardanup 1873
Sadly, their son Michael was drowned when a 2-year-old child in 1868. At the time of James’s death, the Maguires had 20 grandchildren, living, and eight great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth and James are buried in the Dardanup Pioneer Cemetery.
James Maguire died in 1915 and was born in Westmoreland, England to Irish parents from Limerick, and came out to Western Australia with his family in the ship Trusty in 1842, when 8 years of age. The Trusty also carried the parents of explorer and politician John Forrest. They landed at Bunbury, and took up their residence at Australind, removing later from there to the Blackwood. At 21 years of age young Maguire went to Perth and met Elizabeth Carbury (shortly before had arrived on the Palestine) whom he married. Elizabeth’s sister Mary as bridesmaid. Shortly afterwards the pair went to Southwest and settled at Dardanup.
James and Elizabeth had 9 children:
John born in Binup Park 1856, Thomas born in Prinsep Park 1857, Mary Jane born 1859, Sarah Anne born 1861, James born in Dardanup 1863, Michael born in Dardanup 1866, Anne born in Dardanup 1868, Elizabeth Margaret born 1870, Michael born in Dardanup 1873
Sadly, their son Michael was drowned when a 2-year-old child in 1868. At the time of James’s death, the Maguires had 20 grandchildren, living, and eight great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth and James are buried in the Dardanup Pioneer Cemetery.
Elizabeth cooked for escaped Fenian and the Mark of Boyle
When Martin Carroll travelled to Western Australia in 1952, he met a remarkable, gracious old lady of 83 years living at West Leederville. She is Mrs. Anne Stokes (nee Maguire) of 68 McCourt Street, the only surviving child of James and Elizabeth Maguire. James down Dardanup way in 1869 did a brave and generous thing for another human being in desperate need. Carroll wanted to see Mrs. Stokes because of what her father had done for John Boyle O’Reilly. She glanced backwards and upwards on the two large portraits of her more famous father and mother, Elizabeth Carbury Maguire. Carroll noticed a scar slashed across Annie Stokes's forehead. It is there as her contribution to the escape of John Boyle O'Reilly, the Fenian convict. All the Maguires made that escape their own act of heroism and foolishness and faithfulness. Because of it, James Maguire jeopardised his own safety and the welfare of his wife and children.
"He did it," Annie Stokes will tell you, "Because he was a generous and warm-hearted man.
Boyle O'Reilly came to him. “I can still remember my father talking of how Boyle, poor Boyle, cried and cried in desperation for help”. There was no doubt about the fact that O'Reilly needed help.
As a young wild-hearted Irishman of 20 he had been found guilty of treason and two years later, in 1868, he was transported from Portland prison to the Fremantle establishment under a life sentence. The official police correspondence exchanged at the time of his escape mentions that a short time before he had twice attempted suicide.
Annie Stokes's mother Elizabeth, nervous, tense, was preparing food to be taken to O'Reilly who was expected to escape from his convict road party that night. There was a quick accident, a shower of sparks from the stove, confusion, a fall. When it was all over Elizabeth Maguire's daughter Anne was marked for life.
The plan of escape called for Boyle O'Reilly to be picked up by an American whaling vessel, the Vigilant, which that day was leaving Bunbury. The ship belied its name, the plan miscarried and as a result there was a visitor at the Maguires for the next fortnight. The children were not supposed to know about it but in the way of children they all knew. Why else were they forbidden to go near the cupboard adjoining the kitchen? What other reason was there for the bed made up by the fireplace and the pot of Irish stew left on the table beside it? More than a week passed. The bed disappeared. Every day now their father would go off in the direction of the sandhills, carrying a package of food with which he never returned. The police came and inquired and searched the house while the children in silent wonder looked on. Strict orders had been issued at Bunbury and Fremantle that O'Reilly must be retaken.
By this time it was whispered about by many that James Maguire was being seen often in Bunbury and that another American whaling vessel, the Gazelle, was soon due to depart. So it did on March 3. Among its crew members was a new man by the name of Brown with the black hair, the brown eyes, the oval face and dark complexion of John Boyle O'Reilly.
Less than eight years later the Fenian ex-convict was part owner and editor-in-chief of the "Boston Pilot," a newspaper which had been appearing in New England for more than 30 years. Every ship from America that landed at Bunbury or Fremantle carried copies of the "Boston Pilot" addressed to James Maguire. Annie Stokes will tell you about those copies of the "Boston Pilot." They were all in the way of reward that her father ever received. He wanted and would have accepted no other. Yet his farm prospered, his nine children blessed his name and he himself lived until his 83rd year. His daughter can tell you all about that.
When Martin Carroll travelled to Western Australia in 1952, he met a remarkable, gracious old lady of 83 years living at West Leederville. She is Mrs. Anne Stokes (nee Maguire) of 68 McCourt Street, the only surviving child of James and Elizabeth Maguire. James down Dardanup way in 1869 did a brave and generous thing for another human being in desperate need. Carroll wanted to see Mrs. Stokes because of what her father had done for John Boyle O’Reilly. She glanced backwards and upwards on the two large portraits of her more famous father and mother, Elizabeth Carbury Maguire. Carroll noticed a scar slashed across Annie Stokes's forehead. It is there as her contribution to the escape of John Boyle O'Reilly, the Fenian convict. All the Maguires made that escape their own act of heroism and foolishness and faithfulness. Because of it, James Maguire jeopardised his own safety and the welfare of his wife and children.
"He did it," Annie Stokes will tell you, "Because he was a generous and warm-hearted man.
Boyle O'Reilly came to him. “I can still remember my father talking of how Boyle, poor Boyle, cried and cried in desperation for help”. There was no doubt about the fact that O'Reilly needed help.
As a young wild-hearted Irishman of 20 he had been found guilty of treason and two years later, in 1868, he was transported from Portland prison to the Fremantle establishment under a life sentence. The official police correspondence exchanged at the time of his escape mentions that a short time before he had twice attempted suicide.
Annie Stokes's mother Elizabeth, nervous, tense, was preparing food to be taken to O'Reilly who was expected to escape from his convict road party that night. There was a quick accident, a shower of sparks from the stove, confusion, a fall. When it was all over Elizabeth Maguire's daughter Anne was marked for life.
The plan of escape called for Boyle O'Reilly to be picked up by an American whaling vessel, the Vigilant, which that day was leaving Bunbury. The ship belied its name, the plan miscarried and as a result there was a visitor at the Maguires for the next fortnight. The children were not supposed to know about it but in the way of children they all knew. Why else were they forbidden to go near the cupboard adjoining the kitchen? What other reason was there for the bed made up by the fireplace and the pot of Irish stew left on the table beside it? More than a week passed. The bed disappeared. Every day now their father would go off in the direction of the sandhills, carrying a package of food with which he never returned. The police came and inquired and searched the house while the children in silent wonder looked on. Strict orders had been issued at Bunbury and Fremantle that O'Reilly must be retaken.
By this time it was whispered about by many that James Maguire was being seen often in Bunbury and that another American whaling vessel, the Gazelle, was soon due to depart. So it did on March 3. Among its crew members was a new man by the name of Brown with the black hair, the brown eyes, the oval face and dark complexion of John Boyle O'Reilly.
Less than eight years later the Fenian ex-convict was part owner and editor-in-chief of the "Boston Pilot," a newspaper which had been appearing in New England for more than 30 years. Every ship from America that landed at Bunbury or Fremantle carried copies of the "Boston Pilot" addressed to James Maguire. Annie Stokes will tell you about those copies of the "Boston Pilot." They were all in the way of reward that her father ever received. He wanted and would have accepted no other. Yet his farm prospered, his nine children blessed his name and he himself lived until his 83rd year. His daughter can tell you all about that.